A Nor’easter and a Runway Project Are Squeezing Boston at Once

A nor’easter that began affecting the East Coast on October 19 has disrupted air travel across the Northeast. According to one travel-industry tracker, Boston Logan was the hardest hit on October 21, with about 247 delays and 45 cancellations, aggravated by an ongoing runway construction project that runs through mid-November.

The report listed FAA ground programs at LaGuardia, JFK, Newark, Philadelphia and Boston, and said American Airlines was the worst-affected carrier, largely because of its Philadelphia hub. Conditions were expected to ease from October 22 and return to near normal by October 24, though those are forecasts, not guarantees.

Travelers caught in the mess should know their baseline rights under U.S. Department of Transportation rules. A canceled flight entitles a passenger to a refund to the original form of payment rather than only a voucher, and a refund is also due if a domestic flight is delayed three hours or more, or an international one six hours, and the traveler chooses not to fly.

Weather is the catch: airlines generally are not required to pay extra compensation or cover hotels for weather disruption, though some do voluntarily. The practical move is to use the airline’s app to rebook early, check for waivers, and keep receipts for anything you plan to claim. Figures here come from a single tracker and should be confirmed with airlines.

Sources: Travel Tourister